Billie’s blog :: March 2021
The invisible, insidious world of biases and how it affects your life
by Billie Wade
March 2021 — Life is full of isms, labels used to describe philosophies. Many isms are hurtful, harmful, or downright dangerous. But isms are not the issue. The underlying foundations of isms are biases. They can be mistaken for values and used to govern your life, eliminating room for differences of perception and perspective.
In her TED Talk, How to Overcome our Biases?: Walk boldly toward them, Verna Myers defines biases as the stories we make up about other people before we know who they are. Biases can be rooted in truth, semi- or pseudo truth, or in nothing at all and are explicit or implicit. All people harbor biases.
Explicit biases live in your awareness. You may be vocal about your stance on issues important to you, from the death penalty to the best ketchup. You may qualify your opinions— “I have Black friends, but they shouldn’t marry outside their race; it’s too hard on the children.” That is a bias wrapped in an excuse.
Open-mindedness and compassion feel good in the moment. The instant a similar person appears in a different set of circumstances, the bias emerges unannounced, uninvited, and usually, unconsciously. Example: Complimenting the cashier whose ethnicity is different from yours on her beautiful hair or great smile changes tone when people of that ethnicity move in next door.
Implicit biases live outside your awareness. You act and speak from your cache of default responses. They are invisible to you and may or may not be visible to others and they are insidious. Example: “I don’t use those words myself. I’m just telling you what someone else said.” sounds as if you are absolved because you “monitor” your usage. The truth is: If those words come from your mouth, you use those words. Another bias wrapped in an excuse. That is the power of implicit biases.
Melanie Funchess, in her TEDx Flour City talk, Implicit Bias—how it affects us and how we push through, shares three heart-breaking scenarios, one of which was psychologically devastating, and one of which was almost fatal because biases clouded the ability of people to see the truth.
Here are some ways to recognize and address bias to get you started:
- Notice how you respond or react to various people and situations. How did the beliefs form? Do they hold up against proof? Are they biases or values? Be honest with yourself and own them.
- Ask others about your biases, then listen. Ask for examples. Write them out. Explore them.
- Conversations are the most effective means of forging relationships that build connections between people, especially when beliefs conflict.
- Research cultures different from yours. Seek out cultural centers, museums, and historical sites when you travel.
- Call out others when you hear or witness harmful behavior.
- Watch what you say and do in the presence of children. Teach your child(ren) about biases and the harm they cause others. Take your child(ren) to cultural events. Help them to become critical listeners and question the basis for what they hear and see.
Once you become aware of your biases, you are responsible for acting accordingly. As Verna Myers says, “We don’t need more good people. We need more real people.”
As we envision an equitable, just world for all people, we can look first to ourselves to determine how our beliefs and behaviors contribute to or hinder accomplishment of that vision. How we view each other and how we treat each other draw the trajectory of our future. Change begins individually. Individuals standing in solidarity create a groundswell. A groundswell makes a difference.
for more blogs by Billie: www.dmpcc.org/Billie